Early Warning Coverage Grows Worldwide as Vulnerable Nations Face Climate Risks

(MENAFN) The global reach of multi-hazard early warning systems has expanded to 136 countries, although major shortcomings continue to leave the most vulnerable populations exposed as a strengthening El Nino raises concerns about increasingly severe weather events, according to a UN report released Wednesday.

The 2026 Global Status of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems report, prepared by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), revealed that worldwide coverage has climbed to 70%, representing a 143% increase since monitoring began in 2015.

The findings also highlighted the effectiveness of more advanced warning capabilities, with countries operating comprehensive systems recording disaster-related death rates 6.1 times lower than those with weaker arrangements. The number of people affected by disasters was also 3.2 times lower in countries with stronger systems.

Despite this progress, considerable differences remain between regions. Small island developing states recorded the weakest coverage, while least developed countries received the lowest scores for the overall strength and comprehensiveness of their warning mechanisms.

UNDRR chief Kamal Kishore welcomed the improvements achieved worldwide but stressed that substantial numbers of people still lack adequate protection against potential disasters.

“Countries have made significant progress in strengthening their early warning systems, but too many people remain unprotected,” he said.

Meanwhile, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo raised concerns about the intensity of the developing El Nino phenomenon, warning that it “could be literally off our monitoring charts.”

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